Cutting mechanism for cigarette making and like machines



1 Aug. 13, 1940. HQRGAN 2,211,121

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE-MAKING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Oct. '20, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR GEORGE o. HORGAN ATTORNEY G. D. HORGAN Aug. 13, 1940.

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE-MAKING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Oct. 20, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE D. HORGA ATTORNEY G. D. HORGAN 2,211,121

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE-MAKING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Oct. 20, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 &

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INVENTOR GEORGE D. HORG N BY TTORNEY Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITE PATENT OFFICE CUTTING MECHANISM FOR CIGARETTE- MAKING AND LIKE MACHINES Jersey Application October 20, 1938, Serial No. 235,935 In Great Britain October 25, 1937 7 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary knife cuttin mechanism suitable for use in the severing of cigarette lengths from a travelling continuous cigarette rod and of the type wherein the knife during the cutting operation moves at the same rate as the cigarette rod and in the direction of the travel thereof. This reciprocation of the knife necessitates the reciprocation of relatively v heavy parts at high speed which set up undesirable vibration which is counteracted in various ways.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified cutting mechanism by which the use of heavy reciprocating parts is dispensed with.

The invention consists in a cutting mechanism of the type described wherein the knife shaft is provided with an inclined cam plate operating between relatively fixed abutment means adapted to oscillate about a pair of intersecting axes at right angles to one another.

The invention also consists in a cutting mechanism of the type set forth wherein the knife shaft is provided with an inclined cam plate operating between abutment means mounted to oscillate about a pair of axes at right angles to one another and passing through the cam plate.

The invention further consists in a cutting mechanism of the type set forth, wherein the knife shaft is provided with an inclined cam plate operating between spaced rollers, shoes or the like carried in a relatively fixed mounting adapted to oscillate about axes at right angles to one another and located in the medial plane of the cam plate, one of said axes passing through the axis of the shaft, the other passing through the cam plate.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention in a form suitable for a continuous rod cigarette-making machine,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation,

Figure 2 is a plan showing particularly the mounting of the abutment means,

Figure 3 is an end elevation partly in section.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one mode by way of example, the shaft 5 which supports and rotates the knife carrier 6 is provided with an inclined cam plate I. The shaft projects through a bearing 8 in the wall of a casing or box 9, the cam plate being located on the part of theshaft within the box. The cam plate I may be formed in one piece with a boss l0 keyed upon the shaft 5, or it may be mounted upon the shaft between two sleeve ele- 55. ments having opposing surfacesinclined to the desired angle with respect to the axis of the shaft. A nut H is threaded on the shaft to grip the cam plate boss (or the sleeves) which abuts against a shoulder 12 on the shaft. The cam plate boss (or the sleeves) is provided with key Ways to accommodate a key for fixing it to the shaft.

The shaft 5 at its inner end adjacent the shoulder 12 is recessed to receive the end of an axially aligned driving shaft IS. The driving shaft is provided with one or more pins I4 parallel to the axis of the shaft which engage in apertures in a flange l5 of the knife shaft whereby rotary motion is imparted to the knife shaft while at the same time permitting relative axial displacement of the knife shaft.

This driving connection between the shafts is located within the casing or box 9.

Co-operating with the inclined plate cam l is a pair of abutment devices which are located on either side of the plate and spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of the plate.

In the preferred form the abutments comprise a pair of rolls l6 formed of ball races.

The rolls are rotatable upon parallel spindles ll carried by a mounting l8 which is supported so that it may pivot or swivel about an axis parallel to the axes of the spindles and in the medial plane of the plate cam l. The support for the mounting I8 is conveniently in the form of a yoke piece I9 the arms 20 of which are pivoted upon a framework 2| so that the yoke piece may oscillate about an axis at right angles to the axes of the spindles and coinciding with the medial plane of the cam plate. Such axis is also 3 located within the confines of the cam or in other words is located at a distance from the axis of the knife shaft not greater than the radius of the cam.

The arrangement provides a universal joint support for the rolls it such that as the plate cam 'l is rotated the mounting l8 will oscillate about the two axes at right angles to one another according to the changing inclination of the cam plate with regard to the shaft. 45

The support 2| for the yoke piece I9 is relatively fixed with regard to the knife shaft so that the shaft is caused to reciprocate axially the desired amount.

In order to provide for different lengths of 50 cigarette, means are provided for adjusting the amplitude of the reciprocations of the knife shaft. To this end, the yoke piece support 2! is pivotally mounted and is adjustable in a direction at right angles or substantially at right angles to the knife shaft so that an adjustment of the rolls relatively to the plate cam may be made. An outward adjustment of the rolls results in a lengthening of the amplitude while an inward adjustment effects a shortening of the amplitude. The desired adjustments are made by means of a screw and nut device 22, 23, the screw being coupled to the support 2| and the nut being mounted in a wall of the box 9. The nut 23 is provided with a hand wheel 24 geared to an indicator 25. When the parts are adjusted they are locked in position by a nut 27 carried by the support 2| and projecting through a slot 28 in a wall of the box 9.

Reciprocations of the ledger plate 29 corresponding to the reciprocations of the knife shaft are obtained by a collar 30 on the flange l5 of the shaft engaging a forked member 3! carried by a mounting 32 on a reciprocable spindle 33 which carries the ledger plate 29. Instead of the pairs of rolls 16 single rolls or shoes may be provided.

While the invention has been described in connection with a cut-off for a cigarette-making machine it will be obvious that it may be applied to other machines where it is necessary to apply an axial movement to the knife to compensate for the movement of the material or article being severed.

I claim:

1. In a cutting mechanism of the type described for severing cigarette lengths from a continuous cigarette rod, a knife shaft having fixed obliquely thereon a cam plate, means to mount said knife shaft for rotation and for lengthwise reciprocation, means to rotate said knife shaft and cam plate, plate engaging means disposed at each side of said cam plate, forming a relatively fixed abutment, a mounting upon which said abutments are mounted, said mounting being constructed and arranged to oscillate about axes at right angles to one another said axes being located in the medial plane of the plate, one of said axes intersecting the axis of the shaft, the other passing through the cam plate, a counter-shaft parallel to said knife shaft, and a ledger plate mounted on said counter-shaft, and connections between the shafts whereby the ledger shaft is caused to reciprocate in accordance with the reciprocations of the knife shaft.

2. In arod-cutting mechanism of the type described, a rotatable knife shaft having fixed thereon obliquely to the axis of shaft rotation a cam plate with parallel planar faces, means mounting said shaft for lengthwise movement, abutments disposed in generally fixed relation to the cam plate on either side thereof, for engagement therewith, and a movable mounting for the abutments constructed and arranged to tilt to and fro relatively to the knife shaft, and to oscillate about an axis lying in a plane coinciding with the medial plane of the cam plate, thereby to support the abutments for oscillation about a pair of intersecting axes at right angles to one another, thereby to follow the obliquity of the plate in two directions, while causing lengthwise reciprocating movements of the knife shaft and cam plate.

3. In a rod-cutting mechanism of the type including a knife shaft rotatable about an axis substantially parallel with the axis of feed of the rod, and adapted to receive a reciprocated movement along said axis to reconcile severing movements of the knife with continuous advancement of the rod longitudinally, while the knife is severing the rod, said knife shaft having fixed thereon obliquely to the knife axis a flat cam disk constructed and arranged to have a nutating movement around said axis of the shaft when the latter is rotated, mechanism to rotate said knife-shaft and cam plate, abutment means disposed at either side of the cam disk in generally fixed position, to be engaged by said cam disk, for translating said nutating movement of the disk into reciprocating movement of said knifeshaft, to cause said compensating co-axial movement of the knife, and a mounting for the abutments, said mounting comprising a short shaft having its axis lying in a plane coinciding constantly with the mid-plane of the cam plate, a fitting mounted to oscillate rotatively about said short shaft, and a pair of stub shafts carried by said fitting one adjacent to each of the opposite faces of the cam plate contacted by said abutments, and each stub shaft carrying one of said abutments rotatively, thus constituting a system of parallel shafts constructed and arranged to permit oscillation of the abutments about a pair of axes at right angles to one another and passing through the cam plate, whereby the alignment of the abutments relatively to the nutating disk is constantly varied by bodily displacement thereof in unison to conform their attitude to the constantly changing attitude of the oblique disk at the region of its engagement with the abutments.

4. In a cutting mechanism of the class described, a knife-shaft having a cam plate fixedly mounted thereon, obliquely to the axis of the shaft, means mounting said shaft for lengthwise reciprocation, mechanism to rotate said shaft and cam plate, a pair of spaced rollers engaging opposite faces of the cam plate, and a movable mounting for the rollers constructed and arranged to oscillate with said rollers about an axis constantly located in the medial plane of the cam plate, said mounting including means whereby the mounting is also oscillatable about an axis intersecting the axis of the shaft.

5. In a cutting mechanism of the class described, a knife-shaft having a cam plate fixedly mounted thereon, obliquely to the axis of the shaft, means mounting said shaft for lengthwise reciprocation, mechanism to rotate said shaft and cam plate, a pair of spaced rollers engaging opposite faces of the cam plate, and a movable mounting for the rollers constructed and arranged to oscillate with said rollers about an axis constantly located in the medial plane of the cam plate, said mounting including means whereby the mounting is also oscillatableabout an axis intersecting the axis of the shaft, and a yoke piece in which said mounting for the rollers is mounted, being constructed and arranged for oscillation about one of said axes, and means to mount said yoke piece for pivotal movement about the other axis.

6. In a cutting mechanism of the class described, a knife-shaft having a cam plate fixedly mounted thereon, obliquely to the axis of the shaft, means mounting said shaft for lengthwise reciprocation, mechanism to rotate said shaft and cam plate, a pair of spaced rollers engaging opposite faces of the cam plate, and a movable mounting for the rollers constructed and arranged to oscillate with said rollers about an axis constantly located in the medial plane of the cam plate, said mounting including means whereby "the mounting is also oscillatable about an axis intersecting the axis of the shaft, and a yoke piece in which said mounting for the rollers is supported, being constructed and arranged for oscillation about one of said axes, and means to mount said yoke piece for pivotal movement about the other axis, said last-named means to mount said yoke piece comprising an adjustable frame, whereby the roller mounting may be adjusted to and from the knife shaft for varying the amplitude of the reciprocations of the knife shaft.

7. In a cutting mechanism of the class described, a knife-shaft having a cam plate fixedly mounted thereon, obliquely to the axis of the shaft, means mounting said shaft for lengthwise reciprocation, mechanism to rotate said shaft and cam plate, a pair of spaced rollers engaging opposite faces of the cam plate, and a movable mounting for the rollers constructed and arranged to oscillate with said rollers about an axis constantly located in the medial plane of the cam plate, said mounting including means whereby the mounting is also oscillatable about an axis intersecting the axis of the shaft, and a yoke piece in which said mounting for the rollers is supported, being constructed and arranged for oscillation about one of said axes, and means to mount said yoke piece for pivotal movement about the other axis, said last-named means to mount said yoke piece comprising an adjustable frame, and means to mount said frame pivotally, including screw-actuated adjusting means whereby the roller mounting may be adjusted to and from the knife shaft for varying the amplitude of the reciprocations of the knife shaft.

GEORGE DANIEL HORGAN. 

